We are travelling to San Francisco with our 15 year old son for 4 days in May. Any recommendations for attractions, food and/or accommodations? We're also open to staying outside of SF for a day or two, as long as the drive isn't more than a couple of hours.

Depends on if you have a car or not, but Marin Headlands is amazing (have to cross Golden Gate Bridge). There is literally so much to do, its tough where to start. Make sure you have good shoes, your legs are going to be tired. Buy a metro pass online, i believe you can purchase 3 or 5 day purchases with unlimited usage. Great that it works on the Trolleys as well. Ocean beach is great for a sunset. You take the N Judah metro line to get there. If you are already heading out that way, you can stop by Buena Vista Park, Castro District, Haight and Ashbury Street. Japan town and China town are fun. Alcatraz ferry and island tour is great, but plan half a day to do this, combine it with a couple hours at Fishermans Wharf (tourist trap) and Nob hill. Trolley car is great to get from downtown to Fishermans Wharf. Just expect lines to get on, or walk up a block and hop on at next stop. Hope this helps.

Rent bikes and bike across the Golden Gate Bridge! Gorgeous and awesome experience. I recommend having lunch in Sausalito (been to barrel house tavern both times when I was in Sausalito and it was awesome- patio is a must!) then if you’re too tired to bike back you can take your bikes on a boat/ferry back to SF.

Sharon

Caz hmm interesting, remember this * lol I like patios. I haven't been on a bike in 10yrs tho

Its like riding a bike duh

Just got back last week. Rental cars were $20 per day but overnight parking is very expensive. We found enterprise in Union sq to be best as you can return car up to 10 pm and pickup a new one next day. Drive on Lombard st is fun the hit pacific coast highway for spectacular drive to Carmel by the sea and big Sur. A few hrs each way but the drive is incredible.

Bobo's Steakhouse, 1450 Lombard St.

Did the bike rental ( ride across the bridge) got a package. Hop on/off bus to tour around include boat cruise around Alcatraz and ticket to madam Tusseault wax museum. It was the most fun museum, interactive with props. Fun for kids, check the seals at the pier. Take a streetcar ride stop top of Lombard st and . Walk down Lombard crooked street.

Awesome museum of old arcade games in the middle of fisherman's WARF then head to pier 39 for the sea lions.

My favourite thing to do in San Francisco is take the ferry across to Sausalito- it’s a good way to spend a few hours. You can take the public ferry which is pretty inexpensive, and you get great views of Alcatraz on the way. Once in Sausalito, spend some time exploring the shops and grab a drink/snack at one of the waterfront restaurants for great views of the city! http://goldengateferry.org/schedules/Sausalito.php

Alison I stayed there in a hotel. It was a great place and agree with you

Tour to Alcatraz, Sausalito, Napa...drive to Carmel along the Pacific Highway...you'll need to buy tickets to Alcatraz in advance though as they sell out fast.

Elin I agree with booking in advance. I did the Alcatraz tour at night.

If you like baseball. Go see a game. The stadium is supposed to be nice.
Also did the free walking tours.

If you go to Susalito, there is a bus from there to Muir Woods, it's a beautiful park where you can see giant redwood trees.

Tour of Alcatraz

Been with our son three times now and first visit he was very young. Of course prebook Alcatraz (tip: watch Escape from Alcatraz before you visit) brings it to life when you go! Get a transit pass and ride the trolleys and walk thru Fisherman’s Wharf and go up Coit Tower. There is a nice science museum along the bay. Tip: to make the exploring more fun rent bikes from Blazing Saddles. We rode all over the Bay Area on bikes all the way to the Golden Gate. End the day on a hot fudge sundae at Ghirardelli. My son loved going aboard the docked submarine and into the Maritime museum also

Sebastiani vineyards in Sonoma has nice wine. Sonoma is a nice little town to walk around.

https://www.amazon.com/City-Walks-Kids.../dp/081186006X
Got the Paris version for a cousin. It makes planning great fun and educational

The Walt Disney Museum and Lucas Films office

Sounds dorky but it was fun & interesting - the Winchester house in San Jose

This was our 6 day trip in San Fran in April 2017
Day 1 flight from Toronto and took the BART public transit to downtown from from the Airport - cheap, quick, easy
Day 2 - Limo Tour Bus to Sonoma Valley
(Prebooked) and then evening purchase of 3 day hop on off bus for San Fran for that night and over the next 2 days
Day 3, and 4 - Alcatraz (buy tickets well in advance) - Fisherman’s Wharf - Haight Asbury Sausalito - Asian Art Museum - and caught a baseball game at AT&T park (amazing) and all the usual tourist spots made easy by the hop on/off bus
Day 5 - check out and rented a car downtown near our hotel and drove down to Monterey for an overnight - did a beach stop at Santa Monica Amusement Park (saw famous carousel) - then Monterey (skipped the Aquarium) but loved visiting Pebble Beach Golf Course and attended Easter Mass at the nearby Carmel Spanish Mission built in the late 1600’s.
Day 6 - continued early morning drive on #1 south as far as Bixbie Creek Bridge just before a Big Sur (spectacular) the headed back north about mid-day to the Airport for a last overnight and car drop off in the morning (we then flew to Seattle vs back to Toronto
Awesome trip - we are seniors and had a blast

We did the coast drive too (in September) - into San Francisco, dropped rental car in LA - loved all of it but do not think it is the best for a 15-year-old boy.
That is why I mentioned the Winchester House - think he would like

Skip the hop on/hop off bus and call Tony. Great tour and driver. One of the highlights of our trip.

Following to track comments! Interested too!

I recommend u take the double decker bus when u get into San Fran that way u can find the best deals for eating and much much more. Pier 39 is where the shops and excursions are lots to see and do.

Restaurants - stay away from North American fare in SF - the prices are $$$. Cultural restaurants are the way to go - Asian, Mexican, Greek, Italian. All a fraction of the price & amazing food. Pier 39 - lots of cheap but excellent seafood here. See the murals of Mission district. Transit is spectacular and is cheap in SF. Walking along Pier 39 there are boat tours - cheap - do one of these as the boat owners are a wealth of information about SF and it is beautiful to see the city from the water. China Beach is gorgeous and beautiful homes & the view of the Golden Gate bridge from here is so close. The city parks are breathtaking plentiful and a nice way to have a picnic - bring a picnic as food in the parks is expensive (you can have a drink in parks too). We took a day tour to Muir Woods and Sausilito - gorgeous both. Have a meal in Sausalito. Be prepared for lots of walking & hills. Lombard St is incredible as well.

Thank you everyone! I'm sifting through the information to plan our long weekend!